Related Articles

HANOI— A man in Vietnam has been convicted of "abusing democratic freedoms" for using the social media site Facebook to campaign for the release of his brother, a jailed government critic. It is the latest case involving a new generation of Internet-based activists.

Thirty-year-old Dinh Nhat Uy was put on trial Tuesday for posting information on his Facebook page in support for his brother, who is serving a four-year jail sentence for distributing anti-government leaflets.

Vietnamese defense attorney Ha Huy Son says that after a brief trial, a court found Uy guilty Tuesday of using the social media site to criticize the government.

Son said Uy received a 15-month suspended sentence for “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 258 of the penal code.

According to a translated copy of the indictment posted on political blog Duan Luan, which translates as “The People’s Comment,” Uy’s Facebook posts allegedly included “fabricated, defamatory, and offensive contents toward the state, organizations, and individuals”.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, says the indictment against Uy was unusual because it centered on his use of the social networking site.

“Even though there have been other cases in Vietnam that have involved people that have put things on Facebook, I would argue that this is one of the first cases in Vietnam where Facebook has been central to what he’s being charged with,” he said.

Uy’s case highlights a new generation of political activism in Vietnam, a country of 32 million Internet users out of a population of around 90 million.

Over 70 per cent of the country’s Internet population use Facebook, and despite being sporadically blocked by some internet providers, the social network has become a vibrant platform for the country’s political bloggers.

Vu Sy Hoang, a social activist based in Ho Chi Minh City, was among thousands of people taking part in a vigil at a church in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday to show support for Dinh Nhat Uy and his family ahead of the trial.

“I think now there’s a new generation of activists, Internet activists. They are very young, brave. They used blogs and social networks to exchange information and they express their feelings, their commentary,” said Vu Sy Hoang.

Although most political activists use social media, observers says the younger generation raised during a period of economic prosperity have their own approach in discussing political reform.

In the past in Vietnam, discussing reforms was predominantly the territory of intellectuals. But now, says Jonathan London from Hong Kong’s City University, the internet is opening the discussion to a wider audience.

“We’re seeing the introduction or diversification of modes of political expression. And of course the appeal of social media in Vietnam is that it offers Vietnamese something very special, freedom of expression, which is unmediated political speech. This is something that is really new to Vietnam and of course it’s exciting for people,” he said.

As Vietnam’s political bloggers seek to inform and influence the country’s millions of internet users, the state is struggling to understand and regulate this new platform for political discourse. London says Uy’s trial illustrates that tension.

“On one hand Vietnamese of all stripes are dealing with a changing social and political discourse, I think that’s very interesting and complex process in its own right and on the other hand this question of politics. What we’re seeing is the struggle to see what in fact constitutes free speech in Vietnam,” he said.

Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch says he believes the charges against Uy were aimed at intimidating activists and their families from following his example. Many relatives of dissidents already take to the internet to garner support for their cause.

Nguyen Tri Dung, the son of jailed blogger Dieu Cay, also uses his Facebook page to campaign for his father’s release. He said he knows he could be targeted by Article 258 but he is prepared for the consequences.

“I don’t know what Kha and Uy think, but my thinking is that we do it for the future. I have a son and I think about it a lot. So I think what I’m doing here is for him and my mother will understand that,” he said.

According to Human Rights Watch, 61 activists and dissidents have been convicted in Vietnamese courts this year, up from around 40 in 2012. Robertson says he is concerned the latest case indicates the trend will continue.

Afghan officials and human rights organizations assert that Pakistani authorities are using deadly attack at school in Peshawar as pretext to push out Afghan refugees More

This forum has been closed.

Comment Sorting

Comments

by: vietnamese from: VN

October 29, 2013 9:00 AM

It's funny that if you say anything opposing the government, you're gonna be arrested and convicted of "violating freedom". That's how "democracy" works in VN.

In Response

by: Socheat from: redmond, WA

October 29, 2013 5:31 PM

That is like democracy in communist kingdom. Investors should start looking into the human rights overtheree and freedom of expression, otherwise, it would encourage for communist expansion to innocent people.

it is 2013, Vietnamese government should change the way of controlling people rather than shutting people up.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

Diagnosing infections such as HIV requires expensive clinical tests, making the procedure too costly for many poor patients or those living in remote areas. But a new technology called lab-on-a-chip may make the tests more accessible to many. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Afghan officials have expressed concern over reports of a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the Peshawar school attack in December. Reports of mass arrests and police harassment coupled with fear of an uncertain future are making life difficult for a population that fled its homeland to escape war. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Islamabad.

Video

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack. The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined to defend it. Patrick Wells reports from Mariupol.

Video

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close their doors. Restaurant owners face rents tied to foreign currency, while rising food prices mean Russians are spending less when they dine out. One entrepreneur in Moscow has started a dinner kit delivery service for those who want to cook at home to save money but not skimp on quality. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.

Video

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties. Delegations from both sides met in Washington on Friday to work on opening embassies in Havana and Washington and iron out key obstacles to historic change. VOA’s Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

Video

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington. The rhetoric was tough as a large field of potential candidates tried to woo conservative support with red-meat attacks on President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. VOA Political Columnist Jim Malone takes a look.

Video

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a significant role in a booming tourism industry that sustains 359,000 jobs and generates $61 billion in yearly revenue. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

Video

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy independent. Recently, the American Energy Innovation Council urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a priority. One beneficiary of increased energy spending would be the Brookhaven National Lab, where clean, renewable, efficient energy is the goal. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

Video

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion picture "Selma." Five decades later, communities in the South are embracing the dark chapters of their past with hopes of luring tourism dollars. VOA's Chris Simkins reports.

Video

With the end of summer in the Southern hemisphere, the Antarctic research season is over. Scientists from Northern Illinois University are back in their laboratory after a 3-month expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest floating ice sheet. As VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, they hope to find clues to explain the dynamics of the rapidly melting ice and its impact on sea level rise.

Video

A Lao dam project on a section of the Mekong River is drawing opposition from local fishermen, international environmental groups and neighboring countries. VOA's Say Mony visited the region to investigate the concerns. Colin Lovett narrates.